R. B. Sreekumar Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More
Quick Info→
Hometown: Ooruttambalam, Kerala
Wife: Rajalakshmi
Age: 75 Years
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession(s) | Ex-IPS officer and Politician |
| Famous for | • His whistleblowing acts after the 2002 Gujarat riots. • Allegedly framing a false case of espionage against Nambi Narayanan. |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 170 cm in meters– 1.70 m in feet & inches– 5’ 7” |
| Eye Colour | Dark Brown |
| Hair Colour | Salt and Pepper |
| Civil Service | |
| Service | Indian Police Service (IPS) |
| Batch | 1971 |
| Cadre | Gujarat |
| Major Designation(s) |
1972: Superintendent of the Gujarat Police. 1979: Commandant of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF). 1986: Director of Security (DIG) of the Gujarat Electricity Board. 1987: Deputy Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB). 2000: Additional Director General of Police of the Gujarat Police’s Armed Constabulary. 2002: Additional Director General of Police of the Gujarat Police’s Intelligence Department. |
| Politics | |
| Political Party | Aam Aadmi Party (2014-present) |
| Awards | • Medal for Meritorious Service by the Government of India (1990) • Medal for Distinguished Service by the Government of India (1998) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 12 February 1947 (Wednesday) |
| Age (as of 2022) | 75 Years |
| Birthplace | Ooruttambalam, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala |
| Zodiac sign | Aquarius |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Ooruttambalam, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala |
| College/University | Kerala University |
| Educational Qualification(s) | Several sources claim that Sreekumar has earned a master’s degree in several subjects such as History, Gandhian Philosophy, Literature, and LLM in Criminology [1]Firstpost |
| Religious Views | He is an Ambedkarite who has done an in-depth study of the Hindu scriptures as a Hindu scholar. [2]The Federal |
| Address | Plot No-193, Sreelekshmideepam, Sector-8, Gandhinagar-382008, Gujarat |
| Controversies | • Battering an accused in the custody: In 1986, an FIR was filed against R.B. Sreekumar for allegedly battering an accused in his custody. The violence left the accused with severe trauma. The case was closed in 1986, due to lack of evidence against Sreekumar. [3]Firstpost
• Accused of wrongfully framing Nambi Narayanan of espionage: In 1994, a case was filed by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) against Nambi Narayanan for providing confidential information about the under-development Vikas rocket to two Malaysian spies named Mariam Rasheeda and Fousiya Hassan, in return for sexual favours from the duo. Following a nationwide furore over the issue, the Government of India decided to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In 1997, the CBI submitted its report to the Supreme Court. In its report, it stated that the case against Nambi was false as it was missing critical facts. For example, according to the report filed by the Intelligence Bureau, the location of the suspect on the day when the supposed conspiratorial meeting took place, did not tally with the actual location of the accused. Owing to these facts, which were put forward by the CBI, the Supreme Court in 1998 gave its judgement in favour of Nambi and ordered the Kerala government to pay a compensation of Rs 50 lakh to Nambi Narayanan. The Supreme Court further ordered the Kerala government to crack down on the conspirators within the Kerala police as well as in the Intelligence Bureau. [4]ThePrint In 2014, R. B. Sreekumar, who was the Deputy Director of the IB in 1994, was accused by Nambi Narayanan of falsely framing his name under the ISRO espionage case. He further accused him of mentally and physically torturing him, to force Nambi into giving a videotaped confession. [5]OpIndia In his officially recorded statement by the CBI, Nambi stated, • Accused of procuring false evidence against the PM in the Supreme Court: When the Supreme Court, in June 2022, rejected a joint plea filed by R. B. Sreekumar, Teesta Setalvad (along with CJP), and Zakia Jafri, the Gujarat police’s Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested Sreekumar and Teesta Setalvad for presenting false evidence in the court against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The court also accused the duo of playing with the emotions of the 2002 Gujarat riots victim, Zakia Jafri. An FIR was registered against the duo, under Sections 468, 471 (forgery), 194 (giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence), 211 (institute criminal proceedings to cause injury), 218 (public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save a person from punishment or property from forfeiture), and 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code. [7]The Hindu [8]The Indian Express The Supreme Court, in its official judgement stated, |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Rajalakshmi |
| Children | Daughter– Deepa (lawyer) |
| Parents | Not much information is available about his parents. |
| Money Factor | |
| Pension as a DGP (approx.) | Rs 2,25,000 + other allowances (as of 2022) [10]CNN-News18 |
Some Lesser Known Facts About R. B. Sreekumar
- R. B. Sreekumar is a 1971 batch retired IPS officer and a whistleblower. He came to the public’s attention for testifying against the Gujarat government after the 2002 Gujarat riots. He is also known for his alleged role in framing ISRO’s former rocket scientist Nambi Narayanan in an espionage case.
- In 1971, after completing his graduation, R. B. Sreekumar was employed at Kerala University as a Lecturer. After working there for a few months, in 1971, he appeared for the all-India UPSC examination, and after clearing the examination on his first attempt, he joined the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Telangana.
- In 1972, he was commissioned as an IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre.
A photo of R. B. Sreekumar in his IPS uniform
- Throughout his police service, R. B. Sreekumar served as a Superintendent of Police (SP) in seven districts of Gujarat.
- In 1979, R. B. Sreekumar was sent on a deputation to the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as a Commandant. He held the appointment of a Commandant until 1984.
- In 1986, R. B. Sreekumar was promoted to the rank of a DIG after which he served as the Director of Security with the Gujarat Electricity Board till 1987.
- In 1987, R. B. Sreekumar played an important role in conducting a series of five counter-espionage operations in the Kutch region of Gujarat. R. B. Sreekumar foiled the infiltration attempts of the Pakistani spies, who were tasked with providing arms and ammunition to the militants in India. This act of his in 1987, earned him an appreciation from the then Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) H. A. Barari.
- In the same year, R. B. Sreekumar was posted to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) as a Deputy Director.
- In 1994, R. B. Sreekumar’s career plummeted after he was accused of satisfying his agenda against the ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan by wrongfully naming him in an espionage case.
- R. B. Sreekumar was posted back to Gujarat in 2000, where he was promoted to the rank of Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), and he was given the charge of the armed unit of the Gujarat police. He held charge of the armed unit until the end of the 2002 Gujarat riots.
- In 2002, after the end of the Gujarat riots, R. B. Sreekumar was posted as the head of the intelligence department of the Gujarat police.
- In the same year, after the riots, R. B. Sreekumar testified against the then Chief Minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi and the Gujarat government before the Nanavati-Mehta Commission. He became one of the few high-ranking government officials who testified against the Gujarat government by filing a total of nine affidavits. In an interview, Sreekumar said,
Now I am telling you about the environment at that time. All the vakeels were on the VHP side; all judges, many of the judges were also on the VHP side, right; doctors also did not treat patients because they were Muslims. In that situation what can be done? Tell me. Bail applications neglected, what can we (Home Department) … stay on … What can we say? The entire society is like that. PP (public prosecutor) again… discussion held with Law Minister.”
- In 2002, the Gujarat government submitted a report on the 2002 Gujarat riots to the Election Commission of India. In its report, the government claimed that the Gujarat state election can be conducted early as the state authorities have managed to bring the riots under control. On the contrary, in the same year, R. B. Sreekumar submitted his report to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), J. M. Lyngdoh, advising him to postpone the elections. R. B. Sreekumar’s report stated that out of 182 constituencies in Gujarat, 152 constituencies were under the severe effects of the widespread riots. Taking note of Sreekumar’s report, the Election Commission of India stated,
In this environment, election campaigns evoking passions will only shatter the fragile peace unless adequate confidence-building measures are taken up in earnestness and with urgency. Foremost among these would be to arrest and punish the guilty, irrespective of their status and rank for their crimes. The Commission referred to the statement of the Additional Director-General of Police, R.B. Sreekumar, that 151 towns and 993 villages, covering 154 out of 182 Assembly constituencies in the State and 284 police stations out of 464 were affected by the riots. This evidently falsifies the claims of the other authorities that the riots were localised only in certain pockets of the State.”
- In 2005, after falling out of favour with the Narendra Modi-led Gujarat government, R. B. Sreekumar was shunted and denied a promotion to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP).
- In 2006, Sreekumar challenged the decision of the Gujarat government and appealed to the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). The tribunal gave its judgement in favour of R. B. Sreekumar in 2008; a year after his retirement. In its judgement, the tribunal stated that the Gujarat government’s decision was unlawful. While giving an interview, Sreekumar told,
I filed my case in 2005 and got justice now. It is a big victory against a dispensation that is vindictive and malafide. Compared to victims of cases like Naroda Patia who are still struggling, this delay is nothing. I would request other officers to fight against this government.”
- In 2008, R. B. Sreekumar published a book titled Gujarat: Irakalkkuvendi Oru Porattam. The book was published in his native language, Malayalam, and it was based on the 2002 Gujarat riots.
- R. B. Sreekumar published two more books on the 2002 Gujarat riots in English. The books were titled The Diary of a Helpless Man (2013) and Gujarat: Behind the Curtain (2016).
R. B. Sreekumar holding the Urdu edition of his book Gujarat: Behind the Curtain during its launch event
- In a letter written to the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, on 12 September 2017, R. B. Sreekumar demanded that the CM should declare the literary works of Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar, such as Annihilation of Caste, in the educational curriculum of the schools being run by the state.
- In 2017, R. B. Sreekumar wrote another letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to declare Thirukural, which is a Tamil literature, as one of the national books of India.
- R. B. Sreekumar knows how to play the Indian musical instrument, the sitar.
R. B. Sreekumar with the Sitar
References/Sources:[+]
| ↑1, ↑3 | Firstpost |
|---|---|
| ↑2 | The Federal |
| ↑4 | ThePrint |
| ↑5, ↑6 | OpIndia |
| ↑7 | The Hindu |
| ↑8 | The Indian Express |
| ↑9 | CNN-News18 |
| ↑10 | CNN-News18 |